JESUS' BAPTISM, AND OURS

Homily for January 6^th, 2018: Mark 1:7-11.

AOn coming up out of the water [Jesus] saw the heavens being torn open.@ From the opening in the sky, Mark tells us, Jesus Asaw ... the Spirit ... descending upon him like a dove.@ This image of a dove fluttering over Jesus= head as he emerged from the waters of Jordan evokes a familiar verse at the beginning of the first creation tale in Genesis: ANow the earth was a formless void, there was darkness over the deep, and God=s spirit hovered over the water@ (Gen. 1:2, Jerus. Bible). The Catechism says: AThe Spirit who hovered over the waters of the first creation descended then on the Christ as a prelude of the new creation ...@ (No. 1224).

          Then, Mark tells us, “a voice came from the heavens: ‘You are my beloved Son; on you my favor rests.’@  Mark also records John=s words to the people before Jesus= baptism: AI have baptized you in water; he will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.@ 

John=s baptism imparted forgiveness. Jesus was sinless. So John’s baptism of Jesus imparted power. At the Jordan Jesus received the Holy Spirit not just for himself, but in order to pass on this Spirit to others. When each one of us was baptized there was (to use Mark’s language) a real Arending of the heavens.@ God=s Spirit descended on each of us, to lead us from the darkness of sin into the light of God=s love; to create us anew.

The Catechism says: ABaptism not only purifies from all sins, but also makes the neophyte [the one baptized] >a new creature,= an adopted son of God, who has become a >partaker of the divine nature,= member of Christ and co-heir with him, and a temple of the Holy Spirit.@ The Catechism also says that baptism gives us Athe power to live and act under the prompting of the Holy Spirit through the gifts of the Holy Spirit@ (1265-6). Over each of us, at our baptism, God said: AThis is my beloved son. This is my beloved daughter.@ That is not what we are striving to become. It is what we already are: adopted children of God, partakers of his divine nature, members of Christ and co-heirs with him, temples or dwelling places of the Holy Spirit.

The whole Christian life C all our striving, all our praying, every attempt to be generous with God others C is our attempt to thank God for his great gifts, so far beyond anything we deserve. That lived thanksgiving will be complete only when the Lord calls us home, to present us to his Father.  When he does so he will repeat the words which recall those uttered at our baptism:

AFather, this is your beloved daughter. This is your beloved son.@